In 2014, we were approached by a couple to achieve a dream space within their existing home. They wanted to expand their existing bar, wine, and cigar storage into a new one-of-a-kind room. Proud of their Italian heritage, they also wanted to bring an “old-world” feel into this project to be reminded of the unique character they experienced in Italian cellars. The dramatic tone of the space revolves around the signature piece of the project; a custom milled stone spiral stair that provides access from the first floor to the entry of the room. This stair tower features stone walls, custom iron handrails and spindles, and dry-laid milled stone treads and riser blocks. Once down the staircase, the entry to the cellar is through a French door assembly. The interior of the room is clad with stone veneer on the walls and a brick barrel vault ceiling. The natural stone and brick color bring in the cellar feel the client was looking for, while the rustic alder beams, flooring, and cabinetry help provide warmth. The entry door sequence is repeated along both walls in the room to provide rhythm in each ceiling barrel vault. These French doors also act as wine and cigar storage. To allow for ample cigar storage, a fully custom walk-in humidor was designed opposite the entry doors. The room is controlled by a fully concealed, state-of-the-art HVAC smoke eater system that allows for cigar enjoyment without any odor.

Dan Cutrona

Shoe storage under stairway

Photo: Brian Barkley © 2015 Houzz

After

Photo : John Adderley

Designer: Ruthie Alan

Extensive refurbishment of a dilapidated mews house in Belsize Park Conservation Area incorporating garage into habitable space. Photography by Anna Stathaki

The midcentury modern home bar with a cozy fireplace at the Sennett Residence in Asheville, NC offers an inviting atmosphere for entertaining, designed by Living Stone Design + Build. This elegant space features natural materials, stylish furnishings, and a warm fireplace, creating a perfect blend of comfort and sophistication while enjoying scenic mountain views.

Preparing for a commission to design the new Airbus toilets, Luigi Rosselli Architects have experimented with compact design for such situations with the understairs powder room. © Justin Alexander

The space under the stairs was cleverly converted into a downstairs toilet

The extension to this 1890’s single-fronted, weatherboard cottage in Hawthorne, Melbourne is an exercise in clever, compact planning that seamlessly weaves together traditional and contemporary architecture. The extension preserves the scale, materiality and character of the traditional Victorian frontage whilst introducing an elegant two-storey extension to the rear. A delicate screen of vertical timbers tempers light, view and privacy to create the characteristic ‘veil’ that encloses the upper level bedroom suite. The rhythmic timber screen becomes a unifying design element that extends into the interior in the form of a staircase balustrade. The balustrade screen visually animates an otherwise muted interior sensitively set within the historic shell. Light wells distributed across the roof plan sun-wash walls and flood the open planned interior with natural light. Double height spaces, established above the staircase and dining room table, create volumetric interest. Improved visual connections to the back garden evoke a sense of spatial generosity that far exceeds the modest dimensions of the home’s interior footprint. Jonathan Ng, Itsuka Studio

Read all about this family-friendly remodel on our blog: http://jeffkingandco.com/from-the-contractors-bay-area-remodel/. Architect: Steve Swearengen, AIA | the Architects Office / Photography: Paul Dyer

Ryan Wicks Photography